Ryan Mathews Nashville preview

Ryan Mathews Back On Track in Music City
Different Track, But ARCA Rookie Wants Retribution in Nashville This
Weekend
DENVER, NC (August 7, 2006) -- Last season, Ryan Mathews brought his
...

Ryan Mathews Back On Track in Music City
Different Track, But ARCA Rookie Wants Retribution in Nashville This
Weekend

DENVER, NC (August 7, 2006) -- Last season, Ryan Mathews brought his
#21 Super Late Model into Music City Motorplex in Nashville, TN for one
of the most prestigious races in the country, the All American 400. The
All American is one of the races that Mathews and every Super Late Model
driver in the country would like to win the most. Mathews almost had a
shot at the victory; he led over 100 laps before getting caught on pit
road when the caution flag came out.

Mathews was able to regroup to finish fifth in last November's All
American 400, but ever since then he has had a bad taste in his mouth
from the Music City. This weekend, if ever there was a grander stage for
Mathews to get retribution on Nashville for the 400 heartbreak, it would
be in the ARCA RE/MAX Series' ARCA 200 at Nashville Superspeedway.
Mathews and his #22 team for Eddie Sharp Racing will head to Nashville to
get Ryan what he so desperately craves; a victory in the Music City.

"I'm really excited to get to Nashville to keep up the
momentum that this team has going right now," said Mathews.
"We're coming off two-straight top-10 finishes and I think
that Nashville is going to be a good track for us. It's a lot like
some of the tracks that we've run at in the last few weeks and
we've made a lot of gains on our setups and I think we'll be
in good shape."

There is nothing that makes any race team more anxious to get to the
racetrack than momentum in recent events. That's why Mathews and
the #22 ESR team are chomping at the bit to get to the 1.33-mile
Nashville Superspeedway this Friday for practice and qualifying for
Saturday's ARCA 200. In his last two races, Mathews has a
career-best sixth-place at Berlin Raceway and finished seventh after
running inside the top five for much of the race at Gateway International
Raceway two weeks ago.

With two-straight top-10 runs in his rear view mirror, Mathews is hoping
that the string of quality finishes will help him seal the deal in
Nashville.

"Every time we race we're getting better. I just get more
comfortable in the car each time out and the crew knows what I like the
cars to be setup. Each race the team keeps getting better and better and
I think we should have another top-five run this weekend.

"The crew always is willing to try whatever it takes to get the car
perfect for me. We've been up in the top-10 a lot right out of the
box, but if we're not, we are always able to gain on it to get up
to the front."

The hard work that both Mathews and the #22 crew have put in during
Mathews' six starts in the ARCA RE/MAX Series this year have
solidified the team as a constant threat for a strong finish every time
at the track. Mathews has raced inside the top-10 in all but one of his
starts this season, making him a contender to be reckoned with at
Nashville this weekend.

"It's a good feeling knowing that when we get to the
racetrack we're competitive and we're a contender.
We've shown that we are a consistent top-10 team and I know that
everyone on this team wants to be known as a threat for wins and
top-fives every time out. In every series I've ever been in before
I've been a contender, just like I was at Nashville in the 400 last
year. Now that I've moved up to ARCA, I want to be in the same
category.

"I know that this team has the capability to do that and I'm
proud that the effort that we showed at Gateway proved that. I
don't get any enjoyment out of not running up front, so we'll
head to Nashville with hopes for running up front like we have
been."

The ARCA 200 at Nashville Superspeedway will take the green flag in front
of live SPEED television cameras at 2pm CST on Saturday August 12th.
Practice will begin at 11:30am with Pork Pole qualifying set for 5:30pm
on Friday.